Creating Hand Made Health with the Craft Practitioners.

Diabetes

December 15, 2010

I was an overweight kid and it hurt!The whole not being picked for a team, the coming in last in races, having my mom buy me maternity clothes when I was in elementary school, the negative looks and comments from others ripped my little heart out.

I carry those hurtful instances around in my daily baggage. But, this baggage has become the catalyst for a whole new direction in my life. It has led me to becoming involved fighting the childhood obesity epidemic so children will not have to hear the taunts, not have diabetes, not have heart disease.

My journey reminds me that it's not just a personal struggle, it’s a VERY scary thought to see the path that our World is on.I took my baggage, teamed it with my love of crafting and came up with creative projects to get kids to exercise, eat healthy and unplug without them knowing it.

The amazing process is blossoming right before my eyes with my heavy involvement with the Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at a local university. I'm also finishing an e-book Make Healthy Fun! that has 120+ exciting projects from recipes for a fun healthy edible monster to unusual gardens that kids can create no matter where they live and also to making projects to get kids moving and exercising – all without them knowing it!

Even more

This has spread into workshops and videos helping families to incorporate healthy living into their lives through fun hands-on projects.

When I look back on my childhood adversity, I now smile when I think how that baggage has changed my life and has rescued me!

September 13, 2010

My story started 26 years ago when God sent me a beautiful gift --a son I named Chafic. He was diagnosed with very rare health condition called "Lipodistrophy syndrom". After 2 years God sent me another gift I named Nadia a sweet smart girl now she's 24 years old and we just found out she also has a very rare blood disease called Porphyria. I have 2 very special kids.

I worry about them all the time to point I start taking pills for depression. And also from too much stress I became diabetic. I prayed to God everyday to give me the health and strength to stay beside my kids helping them and supporting them and enjoy every moment with them. God heard me and by chance I found out I have the gift in designing and making necklaces. When I crafted necklaces I felt so happy--- a feeling I never felt before. I got hooked and I start making more and more necklaces.

Then it started to be an expensive hobby and end up with a lot of necklaces. That was when I decided to find a way to sell my necklaces so I can buy more beads to make more necklaces. I start getting involved in many arts and crafts show and I met a lot of nice people. My customers appreciated my works and they asked me to build a website so they could check my latest designs so I did.

Getting involved in shows made my life easier helping to shift my mind from worrying about my kids health all the time. I thank God everyday for this talent he gave me.

My name is Fatmeh Itani and I live in Jacksonville, Florida and you can see my work at www.Fatmehjewelry.com